Character Schema & Tags

Character Schema & Tags

This cheat sheet defines the standard structure for Characters in the All Aboard Historical Map brain.

1. Type

Every human in the story is modeled as a Character.

• Type: Character

2. Standard Child Thoughts (per Character)

For each character thought, create these child thoughts (using the short names):

• Birth
• Death
• Family
• Affiliations
• Works
• Citations

These children hold structured details:

• Birth – date, place, and links to year/place thoughts.
• Death – date, place, cause, obituaries.
• Family – parents, siblings, spouse(s), children, key family networks.
• Affiliations – institutions, organizations, movements, congregations.
• Works – books, articles, speeches, reports.
• Citations – where this character appears as a subject or reference (newspapers, books, articles, archival records, your own chapters).

3. Character Note Template (Main Character Thought)

Paste this template into the main character thought notes and fill in as information becomes available.

Character Summary

Short, narrative paragraph: who they are, what they did, and why they matter in the story.

Vital Details

• Full Name:
• Born: [date] – [place]
• Died: [date] – [place]
• Primary Roles: (e.g., social reformer, minister, writer)
• Key Affiliations: (e.g., Children's Aid Society, Union Theological Seminary, New York Mercantile Library)
• Geographic Focus: (e.g., Hartford, New York City, Prussia / Berlin)

Family

• Parents:
• Siblings:
• Spouse(s):
• Children:
• Notable Relatives / Family Networks: (e.g., Beecher family, Gray family, etc.)

Story Function

• Role in the All Aboard narrative: (what part of the story this character "carries")
• Key conflicts / decisions:
• Turning points: (moments that change their trajectory)

Works

• Title (year) – brief note on content & relevance
• ...

(Use the Works child thought for full details.)

Affiliations & Networks

• Institutions: (Children's Aid Society, Union Theological Seminary, etc.)
• Allies / Collaborators:
• Opponents / Critics:

Themes & Ideas

• Main themes this character embodies (e.g., child rescue, social control, religious motivation, educational reform).
• How those themes connect to Orphan Trains and the broader map.

Citations & Sources

• Primary sources: (letters, reports, their own books)
• Secondary sources: (biographies, academic articles, documentaries)
• Archival / newspaper references: (Newspapers.com, Hartford Courant, etc.)

(Use the Citations child thought for detailed references.)

4. Core Tags for Characters

4.1 Type

• Character (applied to every human/character thought)

4.2 Role / Vocation Tags

Use 1–3 of these per character where appropriate:

• Reformer
• Clergy
• Author
• Educator
• Philanthropist
• Politician
• Publisher / Journalist
• Intellectual / Thinker

4.3 Story-Function Tags

How the character functions in the All Aboard narrative:

• Main Character
• Supporting Character
• Antagonist / Opponent
• Network Hub (highly connected person or family)

4.4 Thematic / Context Tags

Connect characters to major themes and places:

• Child Welfare
• Orphan Trains
• Urban Poverty
• Education Reform
• Religious Reform
• Social Control
• Abolition / Slavery
• Immigration
• New York City
• Hartford
• Prussia / Germany

5. Quick Rules of Thumb

For each Character:

1. Type: set to Character.
2. Create child thoughts: Birth, Death, Family, Affiliations, Works, Citations.
3. Apply tags:
   • 1–3 Role tags (e.g., Reformer, Clergy).
   • 1 Story-function tag (e.g., Main Character, Supporting Character).
   • 2–4 Thematic tags (e.g., Child Welfare, Urban Poverty, New York City).
4. Paste the Character Note Template into the main character note and fill at least:
   • Character Summary
   • Vital Details (dates, roles, key affiliations).

This keeps all characters SEO-consistent inside the brain and easy to query, reorganize, or export later.